Nano fiasco, big political issue in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Ratan Tata had shifted his Nano factory from Singur in October 2008. But, the ruling CPIM and opposition Trinamool Congress in West Bengal are still trying to extract political mileage in the coming Lok Sabha elections from this issue.

"People of Bengal will never pardon Mamata Banerjee. She has forced the Tatas to quit Singur. Had Mamata allowed the Tatas to set up their factory at Singur, West Bengal could have find its place on the global map of the automobile industry. It's a shame that Mamata blocked thousands of unemployed youths from getting jobs in the small car factory," CPIM central committee member and party candidate for the Kolkata North Lok Sabha seat Mohammad Salim told ET on Wednesday, the day when the world's cheapest car reached the Tata Motors showrooms in Kolkata.

Salim was countered by Trinamool Congress and opposition leader in the state Assembly, Partha Chatterjee. "People of our state will not pardon the CPIM for its failure to reopen closed industrial units and utilise the Singur land for setting up new units to offer jobs to thousands of unemployed. We had never opposed the Tata Motors small car factory at Singur. We just wanted both the factory and farmers of Singur to coexist. We only wanted return of 400 acres and utilise the balance 600 acres at Singur to set up the small car factory," said Mr Chatterjee.

Undaunted by the CPIM's poll campaign which is focusing on Mamata Banerjee as an "anti-industry force", Mr Chatterjee also said that "our struggle against forcible acquisition of farm land will continue. Look at Nandigram and Singur. The CPIM is nowhere in these areas as they had used force to grab land and the local people had prevented them. People of West Bengal will be with us if we really fight for the farmers and land losers, especially those who have already lost their land due to the faulty industrial policy of the Leftist government."

Mamata herself had contradicted the CPIM's move to brand her as an "anti-industry, anti-development" political force. "I smell something fishy. The Tatas have so far neither set up their factory at Singur nor at Gujarat. From where are they producing their small cars. Are these cars being produced at shopping malls," Mamata threw up a question before reporters a couple of days back while launching her party's poll manifesto.

"Why didn't the CPIM keep its promise, made in presence of the West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, on return of land to the unwilling farmers of Singur? Why is the CPIM not reopening closed industrial units in the state which could employ 15 lakh unemployed youths? Why is the CPIM not making its agreement with the Tatas public?" Mamata said, in a volley of questions to dent the CPIM's campaign.

Meanwhile, a tragic incident took place on Wednesday at the erstwhile Nano factory venue at Singur. At a time when Nano cars were displayed at different showrooms in Kolkata on Wednesday, a poor security guard at their abandoned Singur factory died a mysterious death on Wednesday. The body of Sunil Kumar Jadav was found at the abandoned premises of the small car factory.

Jadav, who hailed from Valavapar in Nawada district of Bihar, was hired by a private security agency and was posted at Singur. Police sources said that Jadav's body was sent for post-mortem and an unnatural death case was registered with the Singur police station.